Thursday, January 13, 2011

Meeting with contractor

Members of the committee met with John Baldasaro, owner of Asphalt Services Inc, in the alley between W Newton St and Rutland Square on Thursday, January 6 at 10 AM.

Six local residents and John B started at the Hiscock Park end. John B explained that the paving would take between four and six days, three for excavation, one for resurfacing and the rest contingency days for rain or other unforeseen delays. He noted that usually about half a foot would need to be excavated but, looking at the condition of the alley with the trained eye of an archeologist/contractor, he concluded that the decades’ long efforts by residents to fill potholes and cracks had left about a foot of material to be dug out.

The goal is to have a nice homogeneous base filled with two inches of “binder”, a coarse mix of gravel and stone, and another two inches of a finer blend of asphalt. (Compacted, these two layers will total 3.5 inches.)

John B said he would start at the W Newton St entrance to the alley, leaving the Rutland Sq side open for very limited traffic, then move to the Rutland Sq side and keep W Newton St accessible. Residents would have to move their cars out of the alley between 7 AM and 5 PM.

The grading of the alley would keep in mind two things: to “crown” the new pavement alongside the driveways so that rainwater flows into their gravel/stone surfaces and replenishes the groundwater, and to grade the pavement with a slight trough in other places so that rainwater can flow into the drains/catch basins already located there. The crown refers to a sort of a slight bulge in the center of the pavement that prevents water pooling and damage to the surface when it freezes.

The pitch level throughout the long and short alleys would be adjusted and graded to accommodate water’s flow to drains and driveways. Because the alley’s grade varies greatly from driveway to driveway, and the edge of the new pavement needs to be protected, John B will grade the edge of each driveway about one foot in from the new surface. That means digging down in some driveways and building up to the pavement in others.

John B. also said he’d be glad to work with the owners of each driveway to fix its grade, replenish gravel, or whatever else might be required. This would have to be contracted individually with each owner and is not part of the overall paving project. The contractor would give an estimate and have a contract with each property owner, and do the work to their mutual satisfaction. However, due to the need to preserve adequate groundwater levels, this work can not include asphalt paving.

The edge of the pavement would be a straight edge matching the driveway grade but where the asphalt meets the walls of buildings there would be a so-called Cape Cod berm, a slightly elevated edge. The edge would have an emulsion applied to it that, when the sun shines on it, re-bonds with the edge’s surface to keep it strong.

The contractor would be responsible for all the required work with Dig Safe and utilities.

John B also recommended speed bumps including two on each of the short sides connecting W Newton St and Rutland Sq. and three in the “long” alley. He also suggested speed bump signs to be affixed to poles a number of bollards with reflectors in sections where larger trucks tend to want to hit walls and fences. The bollards would be three feet into the ground and be lined with metal.

On the library side of the alley, John B noticed that a big section of the curbing alongside the building had sunk below street level. He proposed taking out the curbing and simply extend the new pavement to the wall of the library building. On the West Newton Street entrance to the alley, where there are quince shrubs and roses lining the wall of #170, the pavement would end with the previously described Cape Cod berm at the edge of the garden.

He also proposed granite curbing alongside the Rutland Sq side of the alley..

As a result of the day’s more precise assessment of the alley, including suggested speed bumps and bollards, as well as the need to slightly move at least one of the square drains to promote better water flow into it (near the library), John B. will adjust his original proposal. 0. He would want one half of the amount up front, the rest upon completion. In case of mishap, he says he carries “plenty of insurance.” The adjusted proposal should be received shortly by John Benjamin (55 Rutland Sq) who solicited this and several other proposals from contractors.

He can start as early as April 15, and preferably before the hot weather arrives. He guarantees his work “bumper to bumper” (meaning his work but not damage caused by others) for three years. He expects the surface to last 30 years.